Perceptual Coherence in Adults with Congenital

and Acquired Hearing LossesAndrea Pittman, PhD

Arizona State University

Supported by a grant from NIDCD (R03DC06573)

Introduction

Children with hearing loss eventually become adults with hearing loss.

Does impaired auditory processing in childhood extend into adulthood?

Perceptual Coherence

Purpose

To examine perceptual coherence in adults with congenital hearing losses relative to adults with normal hearing and adults with acquired hearing losses.

Subjects 10 Normal hearing (mean age 25 years) 10 Acquired hearing losses (mean age 64 years) 10 Congenital hearing losses (mean age 34 years)

Acquired Congenital

Stimuli

Speech 9 naturally produced

words (sonorants) Produced by a male,

female and child.

Paradigm

Yes/No Yes trial

F2 in the word No trial

F2 not in the word

Results

Subjects Adults

Normal Acquired Congenital

Paradigm 5 3-tone Complexes

Amp. modulated (100Hz) 50% duty cycle

Yes/No Yes trial

F2 in complex No trial

F2 not in complex

Results three-tone complex

Speech Tone Complexes

Conclusion

Perceptual coherence was not affected by acquired hearing loss.

Adults with congenital hearing losses demonstrated atypical perceptual coherence for speech.

Practical consequences of poor perceptual coherence are largely unknown.

Implications for research.